Charlo 57, Ronan JV 7

Senior quarterback Chico Stipe ran for three touchdowns and sophomore back Tra Ludeman had two interceptions returned for a touchdown and a touchdown off a punt return as Charlo showed off their speed in the 57-7 victory. It was played on Ronan's field turf which no doubt aided the speed of the Vikings a bit. I should have more photos up tomorrow.

Where I'll be tonight... Charlo vs. Ronan JV football

This should be an interesting game as they'll play with eight-men on both sides of the ball when Charlo is on offense and then 11 men when Ronan has the ball. That should throw a wrinkle into everything. Photos and updates will come later tonight.

Butte Central 31, Ronan 0

Ronan lost tonight 31-0, but what you wont find in the box score is how hard these kids played. After the game, normally the post-game talk would be a harsh one on the losing end. It wasn't. Ronan head coach Jim Benn complimented his team on how hard they worked in practice this week and how everyone stepped up.

You see... there were a lot of kids on the sideline who didn't play. Three very powerful playmakers were out with injuries. Kids were in positions that they had never played. They didn't complain, they unselfishly changed their spots, they adapted.

And they hung with one of the best teams in the state for at least a half. The offense gained over 300 yards in a balanced attack. There was nothing for this team to be ashamed of. When they get all their guys back, they're going to be a very tough squad.

Here are some photos from tonight...

On tap tonight: Ronan football against Butte Central

Butte Central vs. Ronan tonight! Big game for the Chiefs as they'd like to bounce back from last week's loss. I'll be on the field for the game, hopefully not getting too wet if it rains. Updates to come later tonight from the Ronan rug.

Volleyball roundup from Thursday

We had quite a few games from last night so get a cup of coffee and try to digest the following information.

Class B

Mission defeats Plains, 3-0
25-15, 25-15, 25-16
The Mission Lady Bulldogs had a great defensive night picking up 39 digs in this matchup.

Class C

Charlo defeats Noxon, 3-0
25-18, 25-18, 25-6
That's a good old fashion blowout in the last set. Rachel Hoyt had 10 kills and Kinley Pope had 12 digs.

Arlee defeats Hot Springs, 3-0
25-12, 25-11, 25-11
Melissa Ivanoff was awesome with seven kills and four service aces.

Arlee defeats Hot Springs, 3-0

Arlee defeated their rival, Hot Springs, tonight with a 3-0 victory. They won 25-12, 25-11, 25-11 and showed a strong command of their offense against the Savage Heat. Here are some photos from the game:

Arlee Football practice photos

The Arlee Warriors have their second game of the season tomorrow night and they'll be facing the Class C defending state champion Drummond. Not only will it be a strong test but it will also be a conference game. In fact, Arlee plays nothing but conference games this year.

"A conference game makes the difference between making the playoffs and not making the playings," Arlee head coach Scott Palmer said. "It makes the difference between hosting a home playoff game and traveling to a playoff game."

They do have momentum rolling into the Drummond game after a 46-20 victory over Philipsburg last week.

"It was a really good win for the kids," Palmer said. "We were able to go back and  look at the film. What we need to work on is defensive discipline."

The Warriors gave up two big plays against Philipsburg, something they hope not to do against Drummond. The team's attitude during Thursday's practice was not to be intimidated by the defending champs.

"Their confidence is high," Palmer said. "Our offense really clicked. We had over 300 rushing yards against a really good team."

Arlee will be at Drummon tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Here are some photos from Thursday's practice...

Where we'll be at tonight... Mission and Arlee Volleyball

It's game time ladies and gentlemen as the Mission Bulldogs will take on the Plains Trotters and the Arlee Scarlet will take on the Hot Springs Savage Heat. Editor Heidi Hanse will be in St. Ignatius court side and I'll be in Arlee. Hopefully more updates to come tonight!

Will Boise State gain ground in the Top 25 for the rest of the year?

Much was made of Boise State's win over Virginia Tech last Monday. It was a thrilling 33-30 victory, but will it be enough to catapult the Broncos to the BCS national championship game? Here's the rest of their schedule.

Sept. 18 - Wyoming
Sept. 25 - Oregon State
Oct. 2 - New Mexico State
Oct. 9 - Toledo
Oct. 16 - San Jose State
Oct. 26 - Louisiana Tech
Nov. 6 - Hawaii
Nov. 12 - Idaho
Nov. 19 - Fresno State
Nov. 26 - Nevada
Dec. 4 - Utah State

With the exception of Oregon State, which I contend is one of the best programs in the Pac-10 right now, that is a pretty terrible schedule. It's certainly not enough to warrant a national championship game appearance. Despite wins I think that the Broncos will lose ground from here on our in the rankings. There's other teams in bigger conferences that will have much more impressive wins than Utah State and New Mexico State... gag.